Even before the Kentucky TriModal Transpark breaks ground this fall, the state is looking for consultants to design a section of interstate-style highway planned to bisect the projects first section. On Tuesday, the state sent out a notice to prospective designers to design a new interchange on Interstate-65 and a road running 2.6 miles from there to U.S. Highway 31-W.The state wants to see it built by fall 2005, which is speedy for a project of this scope, said Daryl Greer in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Planning. The road may well serve more than the transpark. It could become part of the proposed Outer Beltline circling Bowling Green, or a new east-west Interstate 66.Weve been doing a study right now looking at I-66 and the Bowling Green Outer Beltline, Greer said. Weve not finalized the studies on any of those yet; were currently working on the final representations for those, and they should be out sometime this fall. Six of the eight tentative Outer Beltline routes follow the proposed interstate section, as do three of the 23 Interstate 66 routes. Those two projects could be combined into one road running right through the transpark site, Greer said. But for now, the state solicitation describes it as providing access to the transpark. And Kentuckys six-year transportation plan includes construct(ing) new interchange on I-65 to accommodate major development possibilities north of Bowling Green, identifying it as a $10 million project to be funded under the Federal National Highway System. A computer-generated walk through of the transparks first phase, running from U.S. 31-W down three internal roads lined with sidewalks, a bike path and landscaping, clearly shows the limited-access highway elevated on a berm over the railroad and U.S. 68-Ky. 80. It was presented to the Inter-modal Transportation Authority board in mid-July. The only entrance to the road is to be on U.S. 31-W and where it connects to I-65. All of the transpark building sites would be reached from the internal roads; none would have driveways onto U.S. 31-W or U.S. 68-Ky. 80.The state solicitation demands that the chosen consultant have the road ready to be built within two years. Negotiations for a consulting contract are slated to begin Aug. 29, with actual design work beginning Sept. 15.That would be at the point that we have been able to sit down and go over all of the design elements, said Jim Grider, director of the transportation cabinet Division of Professional Services. By that date, we should have everything, pending fee negotiations. A projected fee for the project is $750,000.Once the fee is settled, the way would be clear to begin design work on the project, he said. A date to have the design completed will be put in a contract after the scope of the design is discussed, Grider said. The rush is in anticipation of rapid development of the transpark. This ones on a substantially accelerated scale, he said. The winning consultant must already meet state qualifications for roadway and bridge design, environmental and archaeological studies, right-of-way acquisition and coordinating utilities. The state call for consultants says that a full federal Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be needed for the project. There are probably 100 consultants in Kentucky eligible for the work, Grider said. The ITA is in the process of selling $10 million in bonds by Sept. 16. It will issue $10 million more in the spring, and put out the final $5 million in fiscal 2005.According to the ITAs updated business plan presented in mid-July, the agency will acquire 537 acres bought for it by the South Central Kentucky Regional Development Authority, build roads and utilities on the first 355-acre section, and start selling land to companies in the next year. At the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County meeting Aug. 21, the ITA will seek to rezone for heavy industry 250 acres adjoining Scottys Industrial Park, between 68-80 and the CSX rail line. Another 289 acres in the eastern portion of the Bristow Plain section, to be rezoned as a planned unit development for a mix of heavy industry, light industry, office and professional uses, with heavy industry kept away from the projects edges, should be requested later this year. During the next fiscal year, the ITA will buy 144 more acres on which it already has an option and extend its infrastructure to a total of more than 500 acres. That will complete construction on the first phase, and the agency will concentrate on selling building lots to industries. Another 128 acres would be bought for development in 2008, and in 2009 the ITA will probably need to do another $10 million bond issue to develop a final 250-acre section of the industrial park. Counting interest on the bonds, the total development cost is expected to be about $66 million, not counting the cost of the interstate segment or I-65 interchange; $6.7 million of internal development costs mostly roads is anticipated from the federal government by 2009.Part of those funds are on their way. Warren County Fiscal Court accepted an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Friday morning, under which the state will reimburse the county up to $1.2 million out of federal funds for one of the transparks internal roads, running 4,760 feet from 31-W to 68-80.The road will be 48 feet wide with curbs and gutters, split by an 18-inch grass median, with a walking path on one side and a bike path on the other, according to the agreement. Under the same agreement $500,000 will be available for planning and design of the I-65 interchange. Ordinance would give ITA more fundsMore tax money should flow to the Inter-modal Transportation Authority if an ordinance tentatively approved by Warren County Fiscal Court Friday morning passes a second reading Aug. 22.The ordinance takes advantage of state law that allows 80 percent of taxes on any increased property values at the transpark site be passed on to the ITA, an agency of the county charged with developing the transpark. This does not create any new tax for anyone, Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said. It would apply only to the incremental increase in property valuates on the transpark site caused by industrial development there; the county would continue to receive the same tax revenue it currently does from the undeveloped land, in the same manner as the city supports the Sloan Convention Center. If the measure passes, it will be sent on to the state Economic Development Cabinet for final approval, Buchanon said. Earlier this year, the county established a special taxing district on the transpark site, with 1 percent of gross wages from jobs created by the project going to the ITA. In addition to that money, the ITA expects to get 25 percent of the money from city occupational taxes and the corporate net profits tax from jobs and businesses located at the transpark. Those subsidies will expire in 2010, when the transpark business plan projects the ITA will be making enough from land sales to support itself. During the first years of its operation, the ITA anticipates selling building sites to businesses at a loss to make the project more attractive. ITA President Jim Vance has said that he expects to sell land beginning at $25,000 per acre, increasing steadily as the project develops. The business plan covers only the industrial park section, leaving out any plans to build a replacement Bowling Green-Warren County Airport next to the industrial park or a business campus to the east of the airport. The park would be located along and near Louisville Road.